issues with local election, WWYD?

[Peaonafork]

nc for this, to protect the guilty

My friend and I stood for parish council election in May because we were so sick of the unpleasant councillors and general nastiness in our parish. We sent a leaflet to all the voters in the parish saying who we were and why we were standing. On election day, one of the election officials was seen showing our leaflet to one of the candidates, who was taking a picture of it on her phone (these two are friends and also hate us and have complained about us). This was witnessed by a member of the public, who reported it to the district council.

We have written to the district council to ask what happened on election day and were told that they were unaware of any complaint. We then contacted the police, who said that the council dealt with it. We contacted the council again with a FOI and were told that they couldn't tell us anything because of confidentiality of their employee but that the matter had been referred to the police.

So, one or both are lying. Why?
Were these people trying to influence the election? Shouldn't malpractice be investigated?
So, should we push this further in the hope of getting to the truth or accept what we've been told and move on?

I don’t like the sound of all this. Maybe contact the Local Government Ombudsman.
This needs dealing with as a matter of law/election impropriety.

Speak to the electoral commission.

What’s do you mean election official? Do you mean someone working at the polling station? Was this within the polling station? If so they shouldn’t have access to election material within the polling station. Clearly candidates are allowed in the polling station at any time, but election officials shouldn’t be talking to them about anything beyond the process.

However, if your leaflet was circulated amongst the electorate, it is in the public domain. Setting aside the election official, what benefit would the candidate have? I don’t understand the issue or gain if it was publically available.

What rule or law do you think has been broken?

@mouikey someone working at the polling station who checks names and issues ballot papers

So the poll clerk or presiding officer. If it was within the polling station that should never have happened as political mAterial is not allowed within the station. If it was not within the polling station then that is another matter, but the poll clerk or presiding officer should not have left! Im not quite sure what one is worse!

How did your leaflet get into the polling station (this is absolutely not allowed). Could a voter have left it there or are you suggesting the official took it?

I still don’t understand the gain that your competitor would have received.

Was your leaflet properly imprinted? Did you get elected?

@mouikey inside the polling station, def not allowed. I think the official took it. Not sure what advantage it gives anyone but it shouldn't have happened.

@AutumnCrow yes, why do you ask?

On election day, one of the election officials was seen showing our leaflet to one of the candidates, who was taking a picture of it on her phone

In general, I don't think it's against any rules to take a picture or talk to a friend. Maybe on polling day it is, tbf.

Who saw them?
How did you find out that they saw this & reported it?
(since you know so much) how many votes were cast at the polling station where this official worked? Did you win or lose by less than that total?

No idea but could an elector have taken it in? This has happened when I have been a presiding officer, it is also the officials job to ensure no political material is left around. Could it have been that they found your leaflet and picked it up? Doesn’t explain the showing it to the other candidate for a photo though.

Is that yes it was properly imprinted?

If it wasnt, that would technically be a reportable election offence.

If you weren't elected, it would probably not be very vigorously pursued. If you were elected, it would likely be taken more seriously.

Or could there have been a complaint to the presiding officer of a 'false statement' in the leaflet? Or that the leaflet was picked up at the boundary of the polling station where it shouldn't have been?

You probably need to put in a SARN under DPA rather than a FoI.

If you were elected, get a meeting (minuted) with your Monitoring Officer.

@AutumnCrow there was definitely a correct imprint - I thought it was cheeky advertising by the printers and they had to explain it to me. I felt such a fool! Friend's DH works for the local MP and we used the same printers, so they are used to the regulations.
No false statements as we only described ourselves and what we wanted to achieve.

Not sure what advantage it gives anyone but it shouldn't have happened.

What are you trying to achieve here?

It's far from clear what you think the problem is.

Perhaps a voter had left the leaflet and the official was informing the other candidate in case they wanted to complain about you electioneering?

I'd leave well alone.

It's the taking of the photo inside the polling station that's weird (if it happened) and absolutely not allowed.

I'd go for the SARN and then a meeting with the Monitoring Officer.